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| Junior doctors' strike day two - live updates | Junior doctors' strike day two - live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 8.53am BST | |
| 08:53 | |
| My colleague Steven Morris is at the Royal United hospital, a major acute-care hospital in the Weston suburb of Bath. | |
| The picket line at the RUH in Bath - around 20 junior doctors so far. More expected presently. pic.twitter.com/NbltQSxlrm | |
| The goodies table on the picket line at the RUH in Bath pic.twitter.com/QgJga27Baw | |
| Updated | |
| at 8.54am BST | |
| 8.49am BST | |
| 08:49 | |
| It seems the Department of Health has been reaching out to lobby correspondents, including Sam Coats of the Times, to be its new director of communications. The Spectator has this nugget on its so far fruitless search. | |
| With the junior doctors’ strike now in full swing, it’s fair to say that these aren’t the most harmonious days staff at the Department of Health have ever seen. Perhaps that’s why they are looking for a new director of communications to take charge of the department’s ‘external and internal communication activities across a complex and high profile agenda’. | |
| Alas, so far they don’t appear to have had much luck enticing candidates to the public relations role. Despite enlisting the help of ‘executive search firm’ Veredus, the search is still on and recruiters appear to be spending their time sending unsolicited messages to members of the lobby. Sam Coates, the Times‘s deputy political editor, has shared a message online that he received asking if he would be interested in the role — which carries a starting salary of £120,000. Alas, Coates was left unimpressed after two of his friends were approached about the same role just last week. | |
| 8.29am BST | |
| 08:29 | |
| Junior doctors on the picket line at St Mary’s hospital in Paddington, west London. | |
| Picket starts at St Marys Hospital #JuniorDoctorsStrike pic.twitter.com/tZDPScAKKL | |
| 8.26am BST | |
| 08:26 | |
| The Labour party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, was out yesterday showing his support for striking junior doctors. David Cameron took the opposite tack saying it was “not right” for junior doctors to withdraw emergency care. | |
| Today is the second day of the #juniordoctors' strike. Yesterday I was proud to join their demo #JuniorDoctorsStrikehttps://t.co/XXXbx5fkTH | |
| Updated | |
| at 8.30am BST | |
| 8.13am BST | 8.13am BST |
| 08:13 | 08:13 |
| Denis Campbell | Denis Campbell |
| Denis Campbell, the Guardian’s health policy editor, writes: | Denis Campbell, the Guardian’s health policy editor, writes: |
| Yesterday the highly-respected NHS blogger and health policy analyst, Roy Lilley, wrote, in effect, “a plague on both your houses” about the BMA and Jeremy Hunt for their tactics during the dispute. | Yesterday the highly-respected NHS blogger and health policy analyst, Roy Lilley, wrote, in effect, “a plague on both your houses” about the BMA and Jeremy Hunt for their tactics during the dispute. |
| Today Lilley renews his criticism of the doctors’ union - both its leadership and its junior doctors committee headed by Dr Johann Malawana. | Today Lilley renews his criticism of the doctors’ union - both its leadership and its junior doctors committee headed by Dr Johann Malawana. |
| “I’m thinking about the great NHS strike of 2016 when the junior doctors took on the mighty machinery of government and... and... and what? Lost, I suspect. What is there to win? The union have led their members into a cul-de-sac. More strikes, more disruption? More risk to reputation, careers, public patience? | “I’m thinking about the great NHS strike of 2016 when the junior doctors took on the mighty machinery of government and... and... and what? Lost, I suspect. What is there to win? The union have led their members into a cul-de-sac. More strikes, more disruption? More risk to reputation, careers, public patience? |
| Let’s be honest, the contract is not the draconian settlement it is billed as. The gap between the BMA and the DH is easily bridgeable. The BMA walked away from David Dalton and the DH threw their toys out of the pram. | Let’s be honest, the contract is not the draconian settlement it is billed as. The gap between the BMA and the DH is easily bridgeable. The BMA walked away from David Dalton and the DH threw their toys out of the pram. |
| The JDs have let themselves become a lightning rod for every complaint and disaffection there is in the NHS work place. Their strategic communications woeful.” | The JDs have let themselves become a lightning rod for every complaint and disaffection there is in the NHS work place. Their strategic communications woeful.” |
| But Lilley is also worried about the lingering impact of the whole sorry saga on morale at the NHS frontline. NHS hospital trusts will have to make big efforts to try and engage with their junior doctors to keep them motivated -- not an easy task, he believes. | But Lilley is also worried about the lingering impact of the whole sorry saga on morale at the NHS frontline. NHS hospital trusts will have to make big efforts to try and engage with their junior doctors to keep them motivated -- not an easy task, he believes. |
| “There are plenty of studies about behaviour in post-strike work places. Smouldering resentment. Strikes are industrial warfare. Employees lose money, somebody will have lost face. Emotions run hot.” | “There are plenty of studies about behaviour in post-strike work places. Smouldering resentment. Strikes are industrial warfare. Employees lose money, somebody will have lost face. Emotions run hot.” |
| 8.06am BST | 8.06am BST |
| 08:06 | 08:06 |
| Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats, last night called on Jeremy Hunt to name an “honest broker” to help bring people back to the table and has put forward its health spokesman, Norman Lamb. | Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats, last night called on Jeremy Hunt to name an “honest broker” to help bring people back to the table and has put forward its health spokesman, Norman Lamb. |
| Negotiations are at a standstill, with no end in sight. Something must be done before there is serious risk to the public... Our health spokesperson and former care minister, Norman Lamb would be an ideal honest broker, with experience in the department, credibility among health professionals and a record of delivering improvements in services. If the government and the BMA are willing to bring a third, independent, party to the table, Norman is prepared to work with both sides to find a way out of this dispute. | Negotiations are at a standstill, with no end in sight. Something must be done before there is serious risk to the public... Our health spokesperson and former care minister, Norman Lamb would be an ideal honest broker, with experience in the department, credibility among health professionals and a record of delivering improvements in services. If the government and the BMA are willing to bring a third, independent, party to the table, Norman is prepared to work with both sides to find a way out of this dispute. |
| 7.52am BST | 7.52am BST |
| 07:52 | 07:52 |
| It’s day two of the first all-out strike in NHS history. Junior doctors – all those below the level of consultant - will again stay away from hospitals from 8am and 5pm. On the first day, four out of five junior doctors walked out as David Cameron criticised their withdrawal of emergency care. | It’s day two of the first all-out strike in NHS history. Junior doctors – all those below the level of consultant - will again stay away from hospitals from 8am and 5pm. On the first day, four out of five junior doctors walked out as David Cameron criticised their withdrawal of emergency care. |
| At some hospitals, almost 90% of junior doctors refused to work in an escalation of their campaign against the new contract that the health secretary Jeremy Hunt intends to impose on them. | At some hospitals, almost 90% of junior doctors refused to work in an escalation of their campaign against the new contract that the health secretary Jeremy Hunt intends to impose on them. |
| However, most hospitals coped well and did not experience any problems. Senior medics took on duties usually undertaken by their junior colleagues. A&E units were quieter than usual as patients with minor ailments heeded NHS warnings to stay away. | However, most hospitals coped well and did not experience any problems. Senior medics took on duties usually undertaken by their junior colleagues. A&E units were quieter than usual as patients with minor ailments heeded NHS warnings to stay away. |
| Figures released by NHS England showed that 21,608 junior doctors – 78% of those due to work – participated in the industrial action. It claimed that this was down from the 88% who did so on each day during the previous strike on 6-8 April. However, the 88% figure raised questions as NHS England had previously said that almost half of doctors had worked on those days. | Figures released by NHS England showed that 21,608 junior doctors – 78% of those due to work – participated in the industrial action. It claimed that this was down from the 88% who did so on each day during the previous strike on 6-8 April. However, the 88% figure raised questions as NHS England had previously said that almost half of doctors had worked on those days. |
| Turnout was highest at Barts Health, the largest trust in the NHS. The London trust said that 88.4% of its 1,000 junior doctors had joined the walkout. Unlike four previous strikes, this stoppage is the first one to affect areas of life-or-death treatment, such as A&E, maternity and intensive care. More than 125,000 appointments and operations have been cancelled and will need to be rearranged as a result of the latest strike. | Turnout was highest at Barts Health, the largest trust in the NHS. The London trust said that 88.4% of its 1,000 junior doctors had joined the walkout. Unlike four previous strikes, this stoppage is the first one to affect areas of life-or-death treatment, such as A&E, maternity and intensive care. More than 125,000 appointments and operations have been cancelled and will need to be rearranged as a result of the latest strike. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.55am BST | at 7.55am BST |